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(No Model.)

I. A. GANPIELD.

. DRESS SHIELD. -No. 317,626. Patented May 12, 1885.

N4 PETERQ Phnto-Liuiognphur, Washington. as

NiTsn dTaThs PATENT FlCE.

' ISAAC A. CANFIELD, OF MIDDLETOWVN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CANFIELD RUBBER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DRESS-SHIELD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,626, dated May 12:, 1885.

Application filed February I, 1885.

T or 2071 0122 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Isaac A. CANFIELD, of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dress- Shields, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 2,307, bearing date May 26, 1881;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip- IO tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in dress-shields.

Hitherto dress-shields have been construct ed with a textile fabric on one or both sides, and .the inner and outer flaps united by a fiat seam or two pieces of textile fabric each formed into the shape of a completed shield,

and one or both provided with a preparation of adhesive material, have been pressed together to form a shield. The seam is objectionable, be it ever so flat, as the closefitting dress will cause it to press unevenly upon the flesh and produce a disagreeable sensation, and the two layers of fabric stuck together are clumsy, are apt to get out of shape, and liable to fail in effectually stopping the transmission of moisture.

The object of my present invention is to provide a seamless dress-shield which shall have a soft textile fabric on both sides, and which shall be pliable, impervious to moistare, not liable to get out of shape,durable,and inexpensive; and with these ends in View my invention consists in a seamless dressshield consisting of a sheet or layer of rubber faced with a soft textile fabric on both sides and shaped to conform to the curve of 0 the dress beneath the arm-pit.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View of the shield, and Fig. 2 is a view of the stock from which the shield is manufactured. v

The stock for making the dress-shield consists of a central layer of thin rubber, containing enough sulphur and lead to permit subsequent vulcanization, faced upon both sides with a textile or other suitable fabric.

(No modeL) Patented in England May 26, 1881, No. 2,307.

For the outside layers the article known to the trade as stoekinet is preferably used; but it is obvious that a knitted fabric,a felted fabric, or possibly a paper fabric would answer, an d there may be other fabrics suited to the purpose. The outer layers of cloth or the like are caused to adhere to the central layer of rubber by heat and pressure. The stock,when the component layers are thus arranged, consists of a water-proof material suitably faced on both sides with a textile fabric, as shown 6 in Fig. 2. The facings act as an absorbent of the perspiration instead of shedding it. The stock thus constituted is cut by hand or otherwise,preferably byasuitable press, into pieces of a size suitable to the production of the 6 dress shield. The pieces are then pressed into form between two dies, and by means of heat the rubber is partially vulcanized, and the shape thereby set. The formed blanks are then placed upon forms and subjected to further vulcanization to complete the set of the shape. They are then removed to another form,trim med and bound or scalloped, as may be required.

I make no claim in the present application 7 5 to the process of manufacturing the shield, the same forming the subject-matter of a separate application filed of even date herewith and numbered 155,202; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manu'facture,a seamless dress-shield,consisting,essentially,of a central layer of thin rubber and seamless sheets or layers of soft fabric on both sides of the rubber, the outer layers or sheets of soft fabric being united to the inner layer of rubber throughout the entire surface of the latter, and the whole shaped to conform to the curve of the dress beneath the armpit.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC A. CANFIELD. Witnesses:

L. M. SLADE, RATOLIFFE HIcKs. 

